Compositions for the treatment of textiles, the textiles obtained and processes for the treatment thereof



May (3, 1958 w z 2,833,674

r COMPOSITIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILES, THE

TEXTILES OBTAINED AND PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT THERECF Fild June 21, 1955 Textile material rendered crushproof and shrink-proof by impregnation with a mixturevof (l) polymethylol derivative of 'an N,N-disubstituted melamine and (2)0 condensate of formaldehyde with melamine, urea, N,N'- ethyleneurea, or N,N'- trimethyleneurea.

IN VEN TOR MELVIN D. HURWITZ COMPOSITIONS FOR TIE TREATMENT OF TEX- TILES, THE TEXTILES OBTAINED AND PROC- ESSES FOR THE TREATMENT THEREGF Melvin D. Hurwitz, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., assigior to Rohm & Haas Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1955, Serial No. 517,061

20 Claims. (Cl. 117139.4)

This invention relates to compositions for the treatment of textile materials, and it is particularly concerned with the treatment of textile materials of cellulosic type to improve their characteristics, especially to render the fabrics resistant to crushing and to shrinkage on laundering. It is also concerned with the treated fabrics thereby obtained and with methods for treating fabrics with the novel compositions.

Heretofore, condensates of formaldehyde with melamine, urea and cyclic urea derivatives, such as N,N'- ethyleneurea and N,N'-trimethyleneurea have been applied to cellulosic fabrics, such as cotton, for the purpose of imparting crush-resistance and reduced shrinkage on laundering. However, fabrics treated with these condensates pick up chlorine during bleaching operations using chlorine, such as those using it in the form of a hypochlorite. On ironing the fabrics that have been bleached in this manner, severe discoloration and/ or loss in tensile and/or tear strengths have generally resulted. In those cases Where severe discoloration is encountered, the treatment with these condensates is unsuitable, especially when a white fabric is desired. In some cases, as much as 90% loss in strength is encountered as a result of the action of heat, as in ironing, on fabrics treated with these condensates and bleached with chlorine. The presence on a fabric of a thermoset condensate of formaldehyde with melamine frequently gives rise to some discoloration of the fabric on the mere treatment with a hypochlorite bleach unless care is taken to avoid excess chlorine and elevated temperatures. Ironing in such cases serves to aggravate the discoloration.

It has been suggested in U. S. Patent 2,690,404 to combine a melamine-formaldehyde condensate with a dimethylol ethyleneurea in an effort to reduce the discoloration and loss of strength of cellulosic fabrics treated with such condensates on bleaching and ironing. However, the improvement obtained by this combination of condensates is generally relatively insignificant and the proportions in which the two condensates may be employed are quite narrow in range.

The single figure of the drawing is a diagrammatic face view of a textile product obtained in accordance with the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that certain N,N-disubstitut'ed melamines of the Formula I:

' the desired reaction may be controlled by varying the Where R and R are each selected individually from the group consisting of allyl, hydroxyethyl, and alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, when applied to cellulosic fabrics, such as cotton and the like, have an extraordinarily slight yellowing tendency on chlorination and a very low loss of strength on'ironing after chlorination. However, the polymethylol condensates of the compounds of Formula I have the disadvantages of high cost and limited solubility in water. Because of the latter characteristics, it is difiicult to get sufficient concentration into an aqueous solution of the condensate to get an adequate amount of the condensate applied to the fabric for certain purposes, especially for such purposes as crease-proofing, crush-proofing, and stabilization against shrinkage on laundering.

However, it has been found in accordance with the invention that the incorporation of as little as five mole percent of a formaldehyde condensate of a compound of Formula I in a mixture comprising such condensate and a condensate of formaldehyde with melamine,urea, N,N- ethyleneurea and N,N-trimethyleneurea overcomes the disadvantages of discoloration and loss in strength of fabrics treated therewith that are normally encountered on heating after chlorination when a formaldehyde con-- densate of the last-mentioned type is applied alone in accordance with the prior art. For convenience of reference hereinafter, the formaldehyde condensate of melamine, urea or one of the cyclic ureas mentioned will be referred to as component A, and the formaldehyde condensate of a compound of Formula I hereinabove will be referred to as component B. If desired, component B may be used in greater than five mole percent proportion, but for practical efiiciency in crease-proofing, the maximum proportion thereof is about mole percent. For'most purposes, from the standpoint of cost, efficiency, freedom from discoloration, and low tensile loss on ironing or heating after chlorination, it is preferred to use from 20 to 50 mole percent of component B and from 80 to 50 mole percent respectively of component A.

Examples of the N,N-disubstituted melamines that may be employed include N,N-dimethylmelamine, N,N-diethylmelamine, N ,N di n-propylmelamine, N,N-diisopropylmelamine, N,N-dihydroxyethylmelamine, N,N-diallylmelarnine. The methylol derivatives of any of these compounds of Formula I may be termed a polymethylol N,N-disubstituted melamine and the condensate used may include specific clear-cut compounds, such as trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelamine, or it may include a mixture of compounds containing from 1 to 4 methylolgroups. In any event, the formaldehyde condensates of this type may be obtained by the condensation of a mixture of from 2 to 5 moles and preferably at least 4 moles of formaldehyde per mole of the N,N-disubstituted melamine in an aqueous solution thereof. The condensation may be effected at a pH of 6 to 8 at a temperature of 30 to C. and preferably between about 80 to 210 C. The extent of condensation and the completion of time and temperature.

As component A, any Water-soluble condensate of formaldehyde with melamine, urea, N,N-ethyleneurea or N,N'-trimethyleneurea may be employed. Examples of specific compounds that may be used include dimethylolurea, trimethylolmelamine, dimethylol N,N' ethyleneurea, and dimethylol-N,N'-trimethyleneurea. In addition, the alkylated derivatives of these polymethylol condensates obtained from the lower alcohols from methyl through butyl may be employed. Examples include di- The procedure of Example 1(a) is followed except that the trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelamine is replaced with 2.6% of trimethylol-N,N.-dipropylemelamine and the concentration of the dimethylol-N,N'-ethyleneurea is increased to 3.75%. The discoloration and loss in tensile strength after chlorination and ironing is comparable to those of Example 1(a).

EXAMPLE. 3

The procedure of Example 1(a) is repeated except that the concentration of the trimethylol-N,Nrdimethylmelamine is 4.2% and the ethyleneurea condensate is replaced with 2.5% of dimethoxymethylurea. .After chlorination and ironing, the fabric exhibits only a slight discoloration, and the tensile loss is comparable to that of Example 1(a).

EXAMPLE 4 The procedure of Example 1(a) is repeated substituting for the trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelamine 4.6% of trimethylol-N,N-diethylmelamine and 2.75% of dimethylol-N,N'-trimethyleneurea. After chlorination and ironing, only a slight discoloration is evident and the tensile loss is comparable to that obtained in Example EXAMPLE 5 The procedures of Examples 1(a). and 1(c) are repeated on a bleached rayo'n fabric. In each case, even less evidence of discoloration is obtained and less tensile loss is caused by the chlorination and ironing procedures than is obtained in Examples 1(a) and (c) on the cotton.

EXAMPLE 6 The procedure of Example 1(a) is repeated using 2.1% of trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelamine and replacing the ethyleneurea with 3.5% of trimethylolmelamine. The crease-proofed fabric, after chlorination and ironing exhibits a slight discoloration and a loss of tensile strength comparable to that obtained in Example 1(a).

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of a polymethylol derivative of a compound of Formula I:

HzN-

I N where R and R are each selected individually from the group consisting of allyl, hydroxyethyl, and alkyl having l to 3 carbon atoms, and 95 to 15 mole percent respecv tively of at least one condensate of formaldehyde with a member selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, N,N-ethyleneurea, and N,N-tr1methyleneurea.

' melamine, urea, N,N-ethyleneurca, and N,N'-trirnethyl eneurea.

4. A composition comprising an aqueous solution, of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of a polymethyl'oliN; N-dipropylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent respectively of at least one condensate of formaldehyde with a member selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, N,N-ethyleneurea, and N,N'-trimethyle neurea 5. -A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of a polymethylol-N N-dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent o frdin1ethylol-N,N'-ethyleneurea.

6. A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of a polymethylol-N, N-dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent of a formaldehyde condensate of melamine.

7. A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of a polymethylol-MN- dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent of dimethoxymethylurea.

8. A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of a polymethylol-N,N- dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent of dimethylol-N,-N-trimethyleneure-a.

9. A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 20 to 50 mole percent of a polymethylol derivative of a compound of Formula I as defined in claim 1 and to 50 mole percent respectively of at least one condensate of formaldehyde with a member selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, N ,N-ethyleneurea, and N,N'-trimethyleneurea.

10. A composition comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of 20 to SOmole percent of a trimethylol-N,N- dimethylmelamine and 70 to 50 mole percent of dimethylol-N;N'-ethyleneurea.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a cellulosic fabric modified by a reaction product of a mixture of 5 to mole percent of a polymethylol derivative of a compound of Formula I as defined in claim 1 and to 15 mole percent respectively of at least one condensate of formaldehyde with a member selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, N,N'-cthyleneurea, and N,N'-trimethyleneurea.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a cellulosic fabric modified by a reaction product of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of trimethylol-N,N dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent respectively of dimethylol-N,N-ethyleneurea.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a cellulosic fabric modified by a reaction product of a mixture of 5 to 85 mole percent of trimethylo1-N,N-dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent respectively of a formaldehyde condensate of melamine.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a cellulosic fabric modified by a reaction product of a mixture of V5 to 85 mole percent of trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelformaldehyde with a member selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, N,N'-ethyleneurea, and N,-N'-trimethyleneurea, and drying and curing the condensates on the treated fabric.

, 16. A process for treating a fabric comprising applying to a cellulosic fabric an aqueous solution of amixture of to 85 mole percent of a polyrnethylol derivative of a compound of Formula I as defined in claim 1 and 95 to mole percent respectively of at least one condensate of formaldehyde with a member selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, N,N-ethylcneurca, N,N'-trimethyleneurea, and drying and curing the condensates on the treated fabric at a temperature of 220 F. to 450 F.

17. A process for treating a fabric comprising applying to afcellulosic fabric an aqueous solution of a mixture of condensates comprising 5 to 85 mole percent of trimethylol N,N-dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent, ,respectively of dimethylol-N,N-ethyleneurea, and drying and curing the condensates on the treated fabric at a temperature of 220 F. to 450 F.

18. A process for treating a fabric comprising applying to a cellulosic fabric an aqueous solution of a mixture of condensates comprising 5 to 85 mole percent of trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelamine and 95 to 15 mole percent respectively of a formaldehyde condensate of melamine, and drying and curing the condensates on the treated fabric at a temperature of 220 F. to 450 F.

19. A process for treating a fabric comprising applying to a cellulosic fabric an'aqueous solution of a mixture of condensates comprising 5 to mole percent of trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelarnine and to 15 mole percent respectively of dimethoxymethylurea, and drying and curing the condensates on the treated fabric at a temperature of 220 F. to 450 F.

20. A process for treating a fabric comprising applying to a cellulosic fabric an aqueous solution of a mixture of condensates comprising 5 to 85 mole percent of trimethylol-N,N-dimethylmelarnine and 95 to 15 mole percent respectively of dimethylol-N,N-trimethyleneurea, and drying and curing the condensates on the treated fabric at a temperature of 220. F. to 450 F.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,197,357 Widmer et a1 Apr. 16, 1940 2,690,404 Spangler et al Sept. 28, 1954 2,776,236 Staehle Jan. 1, 1957 2,785,092 Hiestand et al Mar. 12, 1957 

1. A COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A MIXTURE OF 5 TO 85 MOLE PERCENT OF A POLYMETHYLOL DERIVATIVE OF A COMPOUND OF FORMULA I: 